So much for the universally feared $500 million payroll at an average of $20 million per man.

The Los Angeles Dodgers followed their weekend spending spree — Zack Greinke, six years for $147 million; Ryu Hyun-jin for six years at $36 million, plus a $25.74 posting fee — with a trade of the five-and-dime variety, acquiring Skip Schumaker from the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league infielder Jake Lemmerman.

Schumaker, 33 next February, will earn $1.5 million in the final year of his St. Louis deal and is expected to play all over the field. While far from the blockbusters of recent days, it’s a good little move for a number of reasons.

Schumaker is a career .288/.345 hitter, a lefty with a lifetime .305 average against right-handers. Since he’s no threat against southpaws (.205 lifetime) and provides little pop (23 career homers, .377 OPS), he doesn’t fill L.A.’s reserve-outfielder role fully. You won’t see him replacing Carl Crawford, or more importantly, Andre Ethier versus left-handed starters often, if ever. And Los Angeles needs help there.